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United Way Opens Nomination Process for Hometown Hero and Emerging Hero Awards

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Fifth Annual Hometown Heroes Benefit Dinner Set for December 1, 2018

DANBURY, CT -- Every community has unsung heroes. People who distinguish themselves by giving back through philanthropy or volunteerism, who make a significant difference in the lives of those in need.

United Way of Western Connecticut (UWWC) is now accepting nominations through September 7, 2018 to honor those heroes at its 5th Annual Hometown Heroes Benefit Dinner on December 1, 2018 at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury. Hometown Hero nominations can be submitted at https://www.uwwesternct.org/hometownheroesnominationform.

In addition to the Hometown Heroes, UWWC will also honor exceptional youth volunteers with Emerging Hero Awards, which will be awarded to area high school-aged youth who demonstrate strong leadership in volunteerism and community service. Nominations for the Emerging Hero Award should be submitted at: https://www.uwwesternct.org/emergingheroes

For both awards, United Way seeks to honor individuals who do exceptional work in one of our area towns: Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Danbury, Kent, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Sherman, Warren, and Washington.

“At the core of United Way’s mission and all of our work is service to our community,” said Kimberly Morgan, CEO of UWWC. “With the Hometown and Emerging Hero awards, we are able to highlight the incredible work of residents to address local needs. We invite those in our communities to help us recognize the outstanding individuals and youth who give so much of themselves to helping others, locally.”

• Achievement – the nominee’s actual accomplishment produced significant results
• Action – the involvement of the nominee is active and hands-on
• Caring – as demonstrated by the nominee’s interaction with others
• Commitment – the nominee has a sincere belief in their community
• Impact – the nominee’s activity or program produced positive changes, provided examples for other groups
• Initiative – the nominee recognizes a need in their local community and initiates new programs or activities to meet that need
• Leadership – the nominee demonstrates singular leadership to contribute to their community
• Time – the nominee dedicates considerable time and energy to making a difference in their community

Proceeds from the event will benefit hard-working ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households throughout Northern Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties. United Way defines ALICE households as those which earn above the basic Federal Poverty Level, but below a basic cost-of-living threshold. ALICE households live paycheck to paycheck and don’t have enough money for basic needs including housing, childcare, food, transportation, and health care.

About United Way of Western Connecticut
United Way of Western Connecticut (UWWC) improves the lives of hard-working, struggling households by mobilizing the resources of local communities to create lasting change. We help residents across Northern Fairfield County, Southern Litchfield County and the City of Stamford by focusing on the vital building blocks for a good life: Education, Financial Stability and Health. We are committed to ensuring that every child enters school ready to learn, every family is financially stable, and every community we serve is healthy and strong. We are particularly focused on a population that United Way identifies as ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) in our communities. A United Way report published in October 2016 revealed that in Connecticut, more than 1 in 4 households has earnings above the Federal Poverty Level, but below a basic cost-of-living threshold. Combined with those who are struggling below poverty level, 38% of all households in the state are experiencing ﬁnancial hardship. By leveraging the collective power of the community, we are focused on creating an environment where individuals and families are self-sufficient and can achieve financial independence. For more information about United Way of Western Connecticut, please visit: www.uwwesternct.org. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Instagram. Watch us on YouTube.